An exhibition/auction is being held to support the non-profit organization, “Totoro No Furusato National Fund”, which was established by Oscar winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki.The benefit auction, which will be held at the Pixar Animation Studios campus in Emeryville, CA on September 6th 2008, will feature more than 200 pieces of original art from some really incredible arts from the worlds of Animation comic books, illustration and the fine arts. The art from the show will be published in a book which will also be available on September 6th. You can check out some of the art now on totoroforestproject.org. Tickets to the event start at $100, 40% of which is tax deductible.

The above piece is by Pete Docter, director of Monsters Inc and Up. The piece below is by Peter Sohn, a Pixar animator who provided the voice of Emile in Ratatouille.

“Anime is one of the most influential forms of contemporary art today. Among Japanese masters of animation, Hayao Miyazaki is undoubtedly the most popular and respected. The storytelling, visual approach and philosophical depth of his films have made a massive impact in the world of filmmaking Today. Many prominent animation and illustration artists in the world proudly recognize Miyazaki’s strong influence and inspiration on their own work.This project gives the opportunity to the artists involved to voice their appreciation for master filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and the inspiration he has given them through the years.“

The above piece is by Paul Topolos, a concept artist known for his work in Ratatouille, The Incredibles, Star Wars: Episode II, and a bunch of the Star Wars video games of the late 1990’s. Below is an acrylic and paper collage by Pixar production artist Nate Wragg (remember the end title sequence on Ratatouille? That was Wragg).

“Hayao Miyazaki has been actively pursuing the preservation of Sayama Forest for more than ten years. This 8750 acre park in the outskirts of Tokyo is also known as Totoro Forest. It’s in these woods in fact that the concept for the film “My Neighbor Totoro” was born. In the past few decades, the forest has been subject to urban development. Only continued support to the Totoro Trust Fund can help preserve this much needed island of green in the midst of Tokyo’s urban sprawl. We intend to donate the entire proceeds of the project to this worthy cause. This event can also be a symbolic gesture, sending a strong message to the world in terms of environmental and social awareness. Imagine artists from all over the world coming together to donate artwork to help conserve a forest they have never seen.”

Also, a selection of the auction’s artwork will be featured as a special exhibition at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco running from September 20th to December 7th 2008. And finally, below is a pencil drawing be Mike Lee, an animator at Disney television animation.

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